Disability News Round Up - Week Ending 19/10/2012

10/23/2012 10:51:00 am
BenefitScroungingScum
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Activists in Nepal are
calling for a full investigation into the death of a disabled member of
the Nepal National Paralympic Committee (NPC), whose body was found
hanging inside the Paralympic Village.

The UK’s most
influential disabled people’s organisation (DPO) has become embroiled in a
row over its involvement in helping the outsourcing giant Capita win a
multi-million pound benefits assessment contract.

The government have
finally admitted that spending on its Access to Work (AtW) employment
support programme for disabled people has plummeted since 2010.

Both the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police have been unable to explain a
sharp drop in the number of prosecutions for disability hate crime.

Six disabled people
have launched a legal action over the government’s decision to scrap the
Independent Living Fund (ILF).

Campaigners are
involved in a stand-off with the government over a major new report that
warns hundreds of thousands of disabled people could find themselves
driven “over the edge” by welfare reforms.

Autistic rights
campaigners have welcomed the government’s decision to end the 10-year
extradition ordeal of Gary McKinnon, but say his case raises key questions
for other disabled people within the criminal justice system.

The new minister for
disabled people has been told by a disabled activist, a disabled peer and
a Paralympic torch-bearer that her government is jeopardising the legacy
from this summer’s Paralympic Games.

The coalition has
received some backing from disabled people’s and disability organisations for
its proposed special educational needs (SEN) reforms, but has been warned
that key concerns remain over its funding for segregated schools.